“But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.” – 1 Samuel 12:24 (NLT)
In 1988 an earthquake, registering 6.8 hit Armenia, killing over 45,000 people.
As soon as the shaking from the first quake stopped one father raced to his son’s elementary school. When he arrived, he was devastated to discover that the school had collapsed in on itself.
Not long before the disaster, this father had made a promise to his son: “No matter what happens, I will always be there for you.” Fueled by that memory, the father began digging through the rubble of the school. Other parents and relief workers on the scene tried to dissuade the man from digging for his son. They were convinced that everyone had died the moment the earthquake turned the school to rubble.
But the father refused to give up. He dug his hands raw for thirty-eight exhausting hours. As he pulled back one of the boulders, he heard his son’s voice. He called out to his boy, “Arman! Arman!” His son answered back, “Dad, it’s me! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them if you were alive, you’d save me, and when you saved me, they’d be saved too, because you promised, ‘No matter what happens, I will always be there for you.’”
This story is a brilliant illustration of our Heavenly Father’s love for us. He stopped at nothing, sending His own son to die in our place, to save us from our sins.
When you feel like you’ve lost your passion for God remember how much He loves you and how much He sacrificed to save you.
If you’ve been a believer for a while, it’s easy to take for granted Christ’s sacrifice for you on the cross. I know even as a pastor there are times when I find myself going through the motions at Easter without taking the time to really let the depth of God’s love sink into my everyday life.
As we get ready to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, take some time to re-read the Easter narratives in the Scriptures. Try reading them from a different translation than you normally read from. Watch or re-watch a film that reenacts Christ’s final days before heading to the cross. Read the above story with your family and talk with them about how it parallels God's sacrifice for us. Spend some time in prayer, remember God’s passion for you thanking your Heavenly Father for what He has done for you.
When you’ve lost your passion for God remember His passion for you.
Digging Deeper
- What are some of the things in life that can cause you to lose your passion for Christ?
- What’s one step you can take this week to help you reignite your faith?
